Queen Elizabeth II Reflects on her life, rare footage
rare footage and audio of the queen Elizabeth II in her own words reflecting on her service,
No day is Wasted
15 years ago
PROMOSI!!! JANA PENDAPATAN DENGAN AQURA2U
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Jewish all around the world
# 1 United States: 5,800,000
# 2 Israel: 4,847,000
# 3 France: 600,000
# 4 Russia: 550,000
# 5 Ukraine: 400,000
# 6 Canada: 360,000
# 7 United Kingdom: 300,000
# 8 Argentina: 250,000
# 9 Brazil: 130,000
# 10 South Africa: 106,000
# 11 Australia: 100,000
# 12 Hungary: 80,000
= 13 Belarus: 60,000
= 13 Germany: 60,000
# 15 Mexico: 40,700
# 16 Belgium: 40,000
= 17 Venezuela: 35,000
= 17 Uzbekistan: 35,000
= 17 Italy: 35,000
# 20 Uruguay: 32,500
= 21 Azerbaijan: 30,000
= 21 Netherlands: 30,000
= 21 Moldova: 30,000
= 24 Iran: 25,000
= 24 Turkey: 25,000
= 26 Sweden: 18,000
= 26 Switzerland: 18,000
# 28 Georgia: 17,000
= 29 Chile: 15,000
= 29 Kazakhstan: 15,000
= 29 Latvia: 15,000
= 32 Romania: 14,000
= 32 Spain: 14,000
# 34 Austria: 10,000
= 35 Denmark: 8,000
= 35 Poland: 8,000
# 37 Morocco: 7,500
# 38 Panama: 7,000
= 39 Slovakia: 6,000
= 39 India: 6,000
= 39 Lithuania: 6,000
= 39 Czech Republic: 6,000
# 43 Colombia: 5,650
= 44 Greece: 5,000
= 44 New Zealand: 5,000
# 46 Kyrgyzstan: 4,500
= 47 Estonia: 3,000
= 47 Bulgaria: 3,000
= 47 Peru: 3,000
= 47 Puerto Rico: 3,000
= 51 Hong Kong: 2,500
= 51 Costa Rica: 2,500
= 53 Japan: 2,000
= 53 Croatia: 2,000
= 53 Tunisia: 2,000
# 56 Tajikistan: 1,800
# 57 Norway: 1,500
= 58 Guatemala: 1,200
= 58 Finland: 1,200
= 58 Paraguay: 1,200
= 58 Turkmenistan: 1,200
= 62 Monaco: 1,000
= 62 Ecuador: 1,000
= 62 Cuba: 1,000
= 62 Ireland: 1,000
# 66 Zimbabwe: 925
# 67 Portugal: 900
# 68 Yemen: 800
= 69 Bosnia and Herzegovina: 600
= 69 Gibraltar: 600
= 69 Luxembourg: 600
# 72 Ethiopia: 500
= 73 Virgin Islands: 400
= 73 Netherlands Antilles: 400
= 73 Kenya: 400
# 76 Bolivia: 380
# 77 Congo, Democratic Republic of the: 320
= 78 Singapore: 300
= 78 Jamaica: 300
= 80 Philippines: 250
= 80 Syria: 250
= 80 Thailand: 250
= 80 Dominican Republic: 250
= 84 Suriname: 200
= 84 Bahamas, The: 200
= 84 Armenia: 200
# 87 Korea, South: 150
= 88 El Salvador: 120
= 88 Iraq: 120
Total: 14,256,365
Weighted average: 160,183.9
# 2 Israel: 4,847,000
# 3 France: 600,000
# 4 Russia: 550,000
# 5 Ukraine: 400,000
# 6 Canada: 360,000
# 7 United Kingdom: 300,000
# 8 Argentina: 250,000
# 9 Brazil: 130,000
# 10 South Africa: 106,000
# 11 Australia: 100,000
# 12 Hungary: 80,000
= 13 Belarus: 60,000
= 13 Germany: 60,000
# 15 Mexico: 40,700
# 16 Belgium: 40,000
= 17 Venezuela: 35,000
= 17 Uzbekistan: 35,000
= 17 Italy: 35,000
# 20 Uruguay: 32,500
= 21 Azerbaijan: 30,000
= 21 Netherlands: 30,000
= 21 Moldova: 30,000
= 24 Iran: 25,000
= 24 Turkey: 25,000
= 26 Sweden: 18,000
= 26 Switzerland: 18,000
# 28 Georgia: 17,000
= 29 Chile: 15,000
= 29 Kazakhstan: 15,000
= 29 Latvia: 15,000
= 32 Romania: 14,000
= 32 Spain: 14,000
# 34 Austria: 10,000
= 35 Denmark: 8,000
= 35 Poland: 8,000
# 37 Morocco: 7,500
# 38 Panama: 7,000
= 39 Slovakia: 6,000
= 39 India: 6,000
= 39 Lithuania: 6,000
= 39 Czech Republic: 6,000
# 43 Colombia: 5,650
= 44 Greece: 5,000
= 44 New Zealand: 5,000
# 46 Kyrgyzstan: 4,500
= 47 Estonia: 3,000
= 47 Bulgaria: 3,000
= 47 Peru: 3,000
= 47 Puerto Rico: 3,000
= 51 Hong Kong: 2,500
= 51 Costa Rica: 2,500
= 53 Japan: 2,000
= 53 Croatia: 2,000
= 53 Tunisia: 2,000
# 56 Tajikistan: 1,800
# 57 Norway: 1,500
= 58 Guatemala: 1,200
= 58 Finland: 1,200
= 58 Paraguay: 1,200
= 58 Turkmenistan: 1,200
= 62 Monaco: 1,000
= 62 Ecuador: 1,000
= 62 Cuba: 1,000
= 62 Ireland: 1,000
# 66 Zimbabwe: 925
# 67 Portugal: 900
# 68 Yemen: 800
= 69 Bosnia and Herzegovina: 600
= 69 Gibraltar: 600
= 69 Luxembourg: 600
# 72 Ethiopia: 500
= 73 Virgin Islands: 400
= 73 Netherlands Antilles: 400
= 73 Kenya: 400
# 76 Bolivia: 380
# 77 Congo, Democratic Republic of the: 320
= 78 Singapore: 300
= 78 Jamaica: 300
= 80 Philippines: 250
= 80 Syria: 250
= 80 Thailand: 250
= 80 Dominican Republic: 250
= 84 Suriname: 200
= 84 Bahamas, The: 200
= 84 Armenia: 200
# 87 Korea, South: 150
= 88 El Salvador: 120
= 88 Iraq: 120
Total: 14,256,365
Weighted average: 160,183.9
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
For some parents, shouting is the new spanking
For some parents, shouting is the new spanking
[Supermoms don’t yell. They just take use the “mommy” tone. — Reuters pic]
Supermoms don’t yell. They just take use the “mommy” tone. — Reuters pic
NEW YORK, Oct 23 — Jackie Klein is a devoted mother of two little boys in the suburbs of Portland, Ore. She spends hours ferrying them to soccer and Cub Scouts. She reads child-development books. She can emulate one of those pitch-perfect calm maternal tones to warn, “You’re making bad choices” when, say, someone doesn’t want to brush his teeth.
That is 90 per cent of the time. Then there is the other 10 per cent, when, she admits, “I have become totally frustrated and lost control of myself.”
It can happen during weeks and weeks and weeks of no camp in the summer, or at the end of a long day at home — just as adult peace is within her grasp — when the 7- or 9-year-old won’t go to sleep.
And then she yells.
“This is ridiculous! I’ve been doing things all day for you!”
Many in today’s pregnancy-flaunting, soccer-cheering, organic-snack-proffering generation of parents would never spank their children. We congratulate our toddlers for blowing their nose (“Good job!”), we friend our teenagers (literally and virtually), we spend hours teaching our elementary-school offspring how to understand their feelings. But, incongruously and with regularity, this is a generation that yells.
“I’ve worked with thousands of parents and I can tell you, without question, that screaming is the new spanking,” said Amy McCready, the founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, which teaches parenting skills in classes, individual coaching sessions and an online course.
“This is so the issue right now. As parents understand that it’s not socially acceptable to spank children, they are at a loss for what they can do. They resort to reminding, nagging, timeout, counting 1-2-3 and quickly realise that those strategies don’t work to change behaviour. In the absence of tools that really work, they feel frustrated and angry and raise their voice. They feel guilty afterward, and the whole cycle begins again.”
Amy Wilson, a writer and actress in Manhattan, used to give up shopping for Lent. That was before she had children, now ages 6, 5 and 2. This year she gave up yelling. Or tried to. “It didn’t really work,” she said, “but I definitely yelled less.”
Wilson has written a humorous autobiographical book about parenting, to be published next year, called “When Did I Get Like This?” An entire chapter is devoted to her personal efforts to curtail her yelling.
A one-woman show, “Mother Load,” which she wrote and performed Off Broadway and will take on tour for the second time next year, opens with a yelling scene that draws laughs and includes the line “I have had it with looking for puppy” in a high-decibel lament that rings true to anyone who has searched for a favourite stuffed animal for the seventh time in a day.
Familial screamers have long been a beloved part of American pop culture, from the Costanzas of “Seinfeld” back to the Goldbergs of radio and early television, but they didn’t yell at small children. And though previous generations of parents may have yelled in real life — Dr. Spock called shouting “inevitable from time to time” — this generation of parents seems to be uniquely troubled by their own outbursts.
“My name is Francesca Castagnoli and I am a screamer,” began a post on Motherblogger..net earlier this year. “Admitting I’m a mom that screams, shouts and loses it in front her kids feels like I’m revealing a dark family secret.”
“It’s not kind,” said Klein in Oregon. “When I’m done I feel awful.”
To research their book “Mommy Guilt: Learn to Worry Less, Focus on What Matters Most, and Raise Happier Kids,” the three authors, Devra Renner, Aviva Pflock and Julie Bort, commissioned a survey of 1,300 parents across the country to determine sources of parental guilt. Two-thirds of respondents named yelling — not working or spanking or missing a school event — as their biggest guilt inducer.
“What blew us away about that is that the one thing you really have ultimate control over is the tone of your voice,” said Pflock, a child development specialist.
Parental yelling today may be partly a releasing of stress for multitasking, overachieving adults, parenting experts say.
“Yelling is done when parents feel irritable and anxious,” said Harold S. Koplewicz, the founder of the New York University Child Study Centre. “It can be as simple as ‘I’m overwhelmed, I’m running late for work, I had a fight with my wife, I have a project due — and my son left his homework upstairs.’ “
Numerous studies exist on the effect of corporal punishment on children. A new one came out just last month. Led by a researcher at Duke University’s Centre for Child and Family Policy, the study concluded that spanking children when they are very young (1-year-old) can slow their intellectual development and lead to aggressive behaviour as they grow older. But there is far less data on the more common habit of shouting and screaming in families.
One study that did take a look at the topic — a paper on the “psychological aggression by American parents” published in the Journal of Marriage and Family in 2003 — found that parental yelling was a near-universal occurrence. Of 991 families interviewed, in 88 per cent of them a parent acknowledged shouting, screaming or yelling at the kids at least once (though it didn’t specify how many did it more often) in the previous year.
“We are so accustomed to this that we just think parents get carried away and that it’s not harmful,” said one of the study’s lead authors, Murray A. Straus, a sociologist who is a director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire. “But it affects a child. If someone yelled at you at work, you’d find that pretty jarring. We don’t apply that standard to children.”Psychologists and psychiatrists generally say yelling should be avoided. It’s at best ineffective (the more you do it the more the child tunes it out) and at worse damaging to a child’s sense of well-being and self-esteem.
“It isn’t the yelling per se that’s going to make a difference, it’s how the yelling is interpreted,” said Ronald P. Rohner, director of the Ronald and Nancy Rohner Centre for the Study of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection at the University of Connecticut. If a parent is simply loud, he says, the effect is minimal. But if the tone connotes anger, insult or sarcasm, it can be perceived as a sign of rejection.
Rohner noted that while spanking is considered taboo by the major medical and psychological associations, there are still some religious and conservative groups who support it as an effective disciplinary tool, believing that the Bible explicitly allows it.
But, he said, “There is no group of Americans that advocate yelling as a parenting style.”
“My bottom-line recommendation is don’t yell,” he said. “It is a risk factor for a family.”
Easier said than done. Strategies to stop yelling abound. Klein said she has a friend who gives herself a timeout by going into another room when she feels a scream coming on.
Experts suggest figuring out ways to prevent situations that make you most prone to yell. If forgotten homework sends you into the stratosphere, make sure the children have their books and notebooks packed and waiting by the door before they go to bed. If you’re stressed and hungry after a long day at the office, make sure you grab something to eat in the kitchen before you tackle, say, a brewing disagreement over Legos.
Still, there are those moments.
“I’d like to think that most of the time we have a good interaction based on reason,” Lena Merrill said of her 4-year-old daughter, whom she has never spanked. But then there are the times when “she’s done something like poured milk on the floor or ripped a page out of a book,” Merrill said. “I just lose it..”
Usually, she says, she shouts something like, “Why did you do that? Why would you do that?”
“It’s phrased like a question to make her think, but the tone scares her,” Merrill said.
Still, Merrill, a travel consultant in Rutherford, N.J., finds that the threat of yelling can be a convenient stick, much the way the threat of a spanking was in her childhood. Even her husband has taken to using it to encourage good behaviour, she said, issuing the warning:
“Don’t make mommy mad.” — NYT
[Supermoms don’t yell. They just take use the “mommy” tone. — Reuters pic]
Supermoms don’t yell. They just take use the “mommy” tone. — Reuters pic
NEW YORK, Oct 23 — Jackie Klein is a devoted mother of two little boys in the suburbs of Portland, Ore. She spends hours ferrying them to soccer and Cub Scouts. She reads child-development books. She can emulate one of those pitch-perfect calm maternal tones to warn, “You’re making bad choices” when, say, someone doesn’t want to brush his teeth.
That is 90 per cent of the time. Then there is the other 10 per cent, when, she admits, “I have become totally frustrated and lost control of myself.”
It can happen during weeks and weeks and weeks of no camp in the summer, or at the end of a long day at home — just as adult peace is within her grasp — when the 7- or 9-year-old won’t go to sleep.
And then she yells.
“This is ridiculous! I’ve been doing things all day for you!”
Many in today’s pregnancy-flaunting, soccer-cheering, organic-snack-proffering generation of parents would never spank their children. We congratulate our toddlers for blowing their nose (“Good job!”), we friend our teenagers (literally and virtually), we spend hours teaching our elementary-school offspring how to understand their feelings. But, incongruously and with regularity, this is a generation that yells.
“I’ve worked with thousands of parents and I can tell you, without question, that screaming is the new spanking,” said Amy McCready, the founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, which teaches parenting skills in classes, individual coaching sessions and an online course.
“This is so the issue right now. As parents understand that it’s not socially acceptable to spank children, they are at a loss for what they can do. They resort to reminding, nagging, timeout, counting 1-2-3 and quickly realise that those strategies don’t work to change behaviour. In the absence of tools that really work, they feel frustrated and angry and raise their voice. They feel guilty afterward, and the whole cycle begins again.”
Amy Wilson, a writer and actress in Manhattan, used to give up shopping for Lent. That was before she had children, now ages 6, 5 and 2. This year she gave up yelling. Or tried to. “It didn’t really work,” she said, “but I definitely yelled less.”
Wilson has written a humorous autobiographical book about parenting, to be published next year, called “When Did I Get Like This?” An entire chapter is devoted to her personal efforts to curtail her yelling.
A one-woman show, “Mother Load,” which she wrote and performed Off Broadway and will take on tour for the second time next year, opens with a yelling scene that draws laughs and includes the line “I have had it with looking for puppy” in a high-decibel lament that rings true to anyone who has searched for a favourite stuffed animal for the seventh time in a day.
Familial screamers have long been a beloved part of American pop culture, from the Costanzas of “Seinfeld” back to the Goldbergs of radio and early television, but they didn’t yell at small children. And though previous generations of parents may have yelled in real life — Dr. Spock called shouting “inevitable from time to time” — this generation of parents seems to be uniquely troubled by their own outbursts.
“My name is Francesca Castagnoli and I am a screamer,” began a post on Motherblogger..net earlier this year. “Admitting I’m a mom that screams, shouts and loses it in front her kids feels like I’m revealing a dark family secret.”
“It’s not kind,” said Klein in Oregon. “When I’m done I feel awful.”
To research their book “Mommy Guilt: Learn to Worry Less, Focus on What Matters Most, and Raise Happier Kids,” the three authors, Devra Renner, Aviva Pflock and Julie Bort, commissioned a survey of 1,300 parents across the country to determine sources of parental guilt. Two-thirds of respondents named yelling — not working or spanking or missing a school event — as their biggest guilt inducer.
“What blew us away about that is that the one thing you really have ultimate control over is the tone of your voice,” said Pflock, a child development specialist.
Parental yelling today may be partly a releasing of stress for multitasking, overachieving adults, parenting experts say.
“Yelling is done when parents feel irritable and anxious,” said Harold S. Koplewicz, the founder of the New York University Child Study Centre. “It can be as simple as ‘I’m overwhelmed, I’m running late for work, I had a fight with my wife, I have a project due — and my son left his homework upstairs.’ “
Numerous studies exist on the effect of corporal punishment on children. A new one came out just last month. Led by a researcher at Duke University’s Centre for Child and Family Policy, the study concluded that spanking children when they are very young (1-year-old) can slow their intellectual development and lead to aggressive behaviour as they grow older. But there is far less data on the more common habit of shouting and screaming in families.
One study that did take a look at the topic — a paper on the “psychological aggression by American parents” published in the Journal of Marriage and Family in 2003 — found that parental yelling was a near-universal occurrence. Of 991 families interviewed, in 88 per cent of them a parent acknowledged shouting, screaming or yelling at the kids at least once (though it didn’t specify how many did it more often) in the previous year.
“We are so accustomed to this that we just think parents get carried away and that it’s not harmful,” said one of the study’s lead authors, Murray A. Straus, a sociologist who is a director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire. “But it affects a child. If someone yelled at you at work, you’d find that pretty jarring. We don’t apply that standard to children.”Psychologists and psychiatrists generally say yelling should be avoided. It’s at best ineffective (the more you do it the more the child tunes it out) and at worse damaging to a child’s sense of well-being and self-esteem.
“It isn’t the yelling per se that’s going to make a difference, it’s how the yelling is interpreted,” said Ronald P. Rohner, director of the Ronald and Nancy Rohner Centre for the Study of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection at the University of Connecticut. If a parent is simply loud, he says, the effect is minimal. But if the tone connotes anger, insult or sarcasm, it can be perceived as a sign of rejection.
Rohner noted that while spanking is considered taboo by the major medical and psychological associations, there are still some religious and conservative groups who support it as an effective disciplinary tool, believing that the Bible explicitly allows it.
But, he said, “There is no group of Americans that advocate yelling as a parenting style.”
“My bottom-line recommendation is don’t yell,” he said. “It is a risk factor for a family.”
Easier said than done. Strategies to stop yelling abound. Klein said she has a friend who gives herself a timeout by going into another room when she feels a scream coming on.
Experts suggest figuring out ways to prevent situations that make you most prone to yell. If forgotten homework sends you into the stratosphere, make sure the children have their books and notebooks packed and waiting by the door before they go to bed. If you’re stressed and hungry after a long day at the office, make sure you grab something to eat in the kitchen before you tackle, say, a brewing disagreement over Legos.
Still, there are those moments.
“I’d like to think that most of the time we have a good interaction based on reason,” Lena Merrill said of her 4-year-old daughter, whom she has never spanked. But then there are the times when “she’s done something like poured milk on the floor or ripped a page out of a book,” Merrill said. “I just lose it..”
Usually, she says, she shouts something like, “Why did you do that? Why would you do that?”
“It’s phrased like a question to make her think, but the tone scares her,” Merrill said.
Still, Merrill, a travel consultant in Rutherford, N.J., finds that the threat of yelling can be a convenient stick, much the way the threat of a spanking was in her childhood. Even her husband has taken to using it to encourage good behaviour, she said, issuing the warning:
“Don’t make mommy mad.” — NYT
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Chevrolet Cruze launched in New Delhi(India)
General Motors India's D-segment sedan, Chevrolet Cruze was lauched today in New Delhi. Available in two variants - LT & LTZ , and in six colours, the sedan is equipped with a 2.0-litre diesel engine (the same engine which is also fitted to the Chevrolet Captiva SUV) and produces 149 horsepower and 327Nm of torque. According to ARAI figures, the Cruze's 2.0-litre diesel engine delivers 18.3km/l in terms of fuel economy,and will be pitted against Toyota Corolla Altis and Honda Civic, and VW Jetta.
GMI is offering a 3-year/100,000km warranty and plans to launch a 1.8-litre petrol-engined version of the car by mid-2010. The car will be available at Rs. 10.99 lakh for LT variant and Rs. 12.45 for the LTZ variant. (ex-showroom Delhi). The car comes with a five-speed manual transmission (no automatic is available yet) and safety features like anti-lock brakes (ABS) and an electronic stability program (ESP) as standard equipment.
Some of the prominent features of Cruze LT comprise pf Power Steering, all 4 Power Window with 1 Touch down, Delayed Operation for Power Windows & ORVMs, Day/Night Adjustable Inside Rear View Mirror, Driver Seat Height Adjuster, HVAC, Rear Heating Ducts, Intelligent Rear Defogger, Sunglass Holder, Cigarette Lighter, Removable Cup Type Ashtray, Advanced Windscreen Wash System, Driver Information System, Smart Screen, Outside Temperature Display, Convenience Hook in Trunk, Illuminated Glovebox, Trunk Lamp, 60:40 Split Folding Rear Seat, Intergrated Center Stack with CD MP3 Audio System and Aux-in, 4 Speakers, Tilt Steering.
Its safety features include Antilock Braking System, Front and Rear Disc Brakes, Dual Airbags, Tubeless Tyres, Dual Horn, Immobilizer, Driver Seatbelt Reminder, 4kmph Impact proof Front and Rear Bumpers, Advanced Security System, Child Seats Provisions, Ememrgency Exit System, Battery Run Down Protection, Height Adjustable Front Seatbelts. Its exterior features consist of 205/60 R16 tyres, 16" Alloy Wheels, Chrome Garnish on Window Sills, Electronically Adjustable ORVMs, Programmable Follow-me Home Headlamps, Printed Antenna, Bodycolor Door Handles, ORVMs and Trunkid Garnish. The car also boasts of Front Center Armrest with Storage & Sliding Lid, Dual Cockpit Interior Design, New Age Dark Pewter & Titanium Interior Color Theme, Rear Armrest with Cupholders, Front Cupholders, Front Seat Back Pockets, Silver finish on Dashboard, Dimmable Instrument Cluster and Displays, Passenger Sunvisor with Vanity Mirror and Cover, Stowage Bin on top of Dashboard.
Along with the existing facilities of LT, Cruze’s other variant, LTZ is equipped with additional features like Storage Bin on Dashboard with Lid, Tilt and Telescopic Steering, 6 CD Changer, 6 Speakers, Auto AC with Air Quality System, Cruise Control, Programmable Passive Entry Passive Start System with Push Button Inginition On/Off, 12V Charging Point for Rear Seat Occupants, Audio Controls on Steering Wheels, Front Fog Lamps, Chrome Door Handles and trunk Lid Garnish, Power Folding & Heated ORVMs, Rear Park Assist, Rainsensing Wiper System, Electric Sunroof with Protective Mesh, High Gloss Black Finish and Optic Check Film on Center Console, Leather Upholstery, Leather Steering Wheel & Gear Knob, Silver Accent on Steering Wheel, Transluscent Instrument Cluster with Chrome Surround.
The Cruze is the result of a development process that has fully harnessed GM's expertise in automobile technology and is the first of a new family of global products from GM that delivers world class quality. It is also one of the key drivers of the global expansion of Chevrolet.
Following its market introduction recently, the Cruze is being rolled out in many countries around the globe. It is backed by the highest scores in major crash safety ratings. The Chevrolet Cruze received the maximum five-star China New Car Assessment Program (CNCAP) rating, while its sibling, the Holden Cruze, received the maximum five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rating, which is the highest score for any vehicles in its segment.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Pak Army cautions cellphone users regarding SMS fraud
An official of the FIA said severe action would be taken against the senders of these false messages and they would be booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crime Ordinance, 2008. – Photo by AP.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army is investigating mobile phone messages warning the recipients that their SIMs could be hacked by terrorists if they followed instructions given in some messages.
One such message says: ‘Attention: If you receive a call on your cellphone informing you that they are from quality control department of a GSM company and checking your line and they [terrorists] will also request you to press a specific key on your mobile phone, do not follow their instructions.
‘Your mobile can be hacked by them and may be used for any terrorist activity… like triggering a remote-controlled bomb blast…ISPR-Pak Army.’
A senior military official told Dawn: ‘These are fake messages and we are investigating them.’
An official of the Federal Investigation Agency’s cyber crime cell said his unit was also probing into the matter. He said strict action would be taken against the senders of these false messages and they would be booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crime Ordinance, 2008.
Chevrolet cruze in india
The Chevrolet Cruze, which is expected to be launched in Indian market in the first week of this October, is going to increase the competition between the sedan class cars in India. The Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla Altis are expected to be its main competitors. Sources tell that Chevrolet Cruze price in india may cost about 14 to 16 lakhs,
almost same as the other sedans, which it competes with.
The Chevrolet Cruze is an elephant in boot with its 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 150 bhp and also with 1.8-litre petrol engine producing 130 HP. The diesel variant is expected to be more powerful than the petrol one. The 138 bhp Honda Civic is already doing well and therefore the petrol variant of Cruze is expected to be more than it, to give a tough competition.
The Cruze looks muscular and with its aggressive front chrome grill. The 17 inch, 5 spoke alloy wheels look great for this sedan. The front fog lamps and the combinations lamps in the rear are quite good. The body colored bumpers, door handles and the rear-view mirrors add to its stylish looks. Therefore it is fully loaded, making no disappointments, when it comes to the looks. The red color Cruze appeared in ads looks good, however we have to wait to know about the other colors, in which it is available.
The interiors are also attractive, with its leather covered dual tone beige
Friday, October 23, 2009
INFO: Be Careful
Dear Colleagues,
I had a bad experience this afternoon while walking from Citibank building to KLCC. While I was walking on the sidewalk, one guy walking next me suddenly bent down and started jerking bottom of my pant. I shouted and asked him what he was doing. I pushed his hand away and started walking again. I suddenly realized, in a matter of seconds, that my cell phone was gone from my front pocket. I turned back to look for that guy but he was gone. There must be more than one guy in this gang. While one of them tries to distract your attention for few seconds, the other guy does his job to relieve whatever you have in your pockets. I could have lost my wallet but was fortunate. So please be aware and pay attention to your surroundings.
INFO: Please Read, swine flu injection
This email you need to read ............ ...a big warning ..........please do take the time to read this!!!!
I'm a qualified pharmacist. I've been researching the swine flu vaccine that our government has bought for us (using our money, by the way) and it's DANGEROUS AS. It's easy a hundred times more dangerous than the swine flu itself.
Something that freaked me out is that several swine flu vaccine manufacturers have asked governments to give them an exemption from lawsuits, in case the vaccine caused harm in people. If you made a vaccine that you knew worked, then why would you need a legal exemption in case it hurt people? Massive warning sign - they don't believe its safe!
The swine flu itself has killed about 2/3000 people total. The regular flu kills 40 000 plus per year – so why are we freaking out about swine flu, and not normal flu? Does that make sense? No!
If the regular flu kills 40 000 plus per year, and the swine flu only killed 2/3 000 – then why are governments buying it in advance, giving it to us for free, and giving drug manufacturers immunity to legal cases against them? Does that make sense? No!
The swine flu vaccine contains 2 horribly dangerous compounds – one is called thimerosol. It is made 50% ofmercury. It binds to receptors in your brain, and basically causes brain damage. Is it smart to be injected with thimerosol, and get brain damage, dropping 10 IQ points and going dumb, in order to avoid getting a flu that kills 95% less people than regular flu? No!
The other horrible ingredient is called squalene. Squalene accidentally tricks your immune system into killing your own cells, which creates auto-immune diseases like asthma, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and a bunch of diseases that we don't have a name for yet (because squalene hasn't been used for that long, and we have little data on its effects) – is is smart to inject yourself with that stuff, in order to avoid a relatively mild flu, like the swine flu? No!
If you're a pregnant mother about to take Panvax, ask yourself this – why would you take Panvax, when it contains Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfate – both of which exhibit positive risk to unborn children – so as to avoid what? A mild flu, that kills 95% fewer people than the regular flu?
Look, I'm a funny guy. Yeah, I make good Facebook groups. People join them by the thousands, and laugh. But I'm also a qualified pharmacist. I scored in the top 0.1% of my state in school. I'm an expert at critical analysis of drugs and their effects on humans. And let me be blunt – if someone came up to me with a syringe full of swine flu vaccine, or came near my family with one – I would take the needle off them and poke them with it myself – followed by several very hard punches.
I'm a qualified pharmacist. I've been researching the swine flu vaccine that our government has bought for us (using our money, by the way) and it's DANGEROUS AS. It's easy a hundred times more dangerous than the swine flu itself.
Something that freaked me out is that several swine flu vaccine manufacturers have asked governments to give them an exemption from lawsuits, in case the vaccine caused harm in people. If you made a vaccine that you knew worked, then why would you need a legal exemption in case it hurt people? Massive warning sign - they don't believe its safe!
The swine flu itself has killed about 2/3000 people total. The regular flu kills 40 000 plus per year – so why are we freaking out about swine flu, and not normal flu? Does that make sense? No!
If the regular flu kills 40 000 plus per year, and the swine flu only killed 2/3 000 – then why are governments buying it in advance, giving it to us for free, and giving drug manufacturers immunity to legal cases against them? Does that make sense? No!
The swine flu vaccine contains 2 horribly dangerous compounds – one is called thimerosol. It is made 50% ofmercury. It binds to receptors in your brain, and basically causes brain damage. Is it smart to be injected with thimerosol, and get brain damage, dropping 10 IQ points and going dumb, in order to avoid getting a flu that kills 95% less people than regular flu? No!
The other horrible ingredient is called squalene. Squalene accidentally tricks your immune system into killing your own cells, which creates auto-immune diseases like asthma, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and a bunch of diseases that we don't have a name for yet (because squalene hasn't been used for that long, and we have little data on its effects) – is is smart to inject yourself with that stuff, in order to avoid a relatively mild flu, like the swine flu? No!
If you're a pregnant mother about to take Panvax, ask yourself this – why would you take Panvax, when it contains Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfate – both of which exhibit positive risk to unborn children – so as to avoid what? A mild flu, that kills 95% fewer people than the regular flu?
Look, I'm a funny guy. Yeah, I make good Facebook groups. People join them by the thousands, and laugh. But I'm also a qualified pharmacist. I scored in the top 0.1% of my state in school. I'm an expert at critical analysis of drugs and their effects on humans. And let me be blunt – if someone came up to me with a syringe full of swine flu vaccine, or came near my family with one – I would take the needle off them and poke them with it myself – followed by several very hard punches.
This stuff is poison. Don't take it. Don't let your friends take it. Don't let your family take it. If some idiot in a lab coat asks you if you want it, ask them about thimerosol, squalene, and why the company making it wants legal exemption from being sued, and watch their face go into "Oh, my God! I'm being asked serious questions that I don't have the answer to” mode.
Anyway. I hope you're all well. Chat to you on Facebook sometime...
Sincerely,
George Mamouzellos
Bachelor of Pharmacy
University of South Australia
Anyway. I hope you're all well. Chat to you on Facebook sometime...
Sincerely,
George Mamouzellos
Bachelor of Pharmacy
University of South Australia
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Facts after you sleep
Blind People Dream
Who become blind after birth can see images in their dreams. People who are born blind do not see any images, but have dreams equally vivid involving their other senses of sound, smell, touch and emotion. It is hard for a seeing person to imagine, but the body need for sleep is so strong that it is able to handle virtually all physical situations to make it happen.
You Forget 90% of your Dreams
Within 5 minutes of waking, half of your dream if forgotten. Within 10, 90% is gone.
Curiously, Robert Louis Stevenson came up with the story of Doctor Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde whilst he was dreaming.
Everybody Dreams
Every human being dreams (except in cases of extreme psychological disorder) but men and women have different dreams and different physical reactions. Men tend to dream more about other men, while women tend to dream equally about men and women. In addition, both men and women experience sexually related physical reactions to their dreams regardless of whether the dream is sexual in nature; males experience *****ions and females experience increased vaginal blood flow.
Dreams Prevent Psychosis
In a recent sleep study, students who were awakened at the beginning of each dream, but still allowed their 8 hours of sleep, all experienced difficulty in concentration, irritability, hallucinations, and signs of psychosis after only 3 days. When finally allowed their REM sleep the student brains made up for lost time by greatly increasing the percentage of sleep spent in the REM stage
We Only Dream of What We Know
Our dreams are frequently full of strangers who play out certain parts - did you know that your mind is not inventing those faces - they are real faces of real people that you have seen during your life but may not know or remember? The evil killer in your latest dream may be the guy who pumped petrol in to your Dad car when you were just a little kid. We have all seen hundreds of thousands of faces through our lives, so we have an endless supply of characters for our brain to utilize during our dreams.
Not Everyone Dreams in Color
A full 12% of sighted people dream exclusively in black and white. The remaining number dream in full color. People also tend to have common themes in dreams, which are situations relating to school, being chased, running slowly/in place, sexual experiences, falling, arriving too late, a person now alive being dead, teeth falling out, flying, failing an examination, or a car accident. It is unknown whether the impact of a dream relating to violence or death is more emotionally charged for a person who dreams in color than one who dreams in black and white
Dreams are not about what they are about
If you dream about some particular subject it is not often that the dream is about that. Dreams speak in a deeply symbolic language. The unconscious mind tries to compare your dream to something else, which is similar. Its like writing a poem and saying that a group of ants were like machines that never stop. But you would never compare something to itself, for example: That beautiful sunset was like a beautiful sunset. So whatever symbol your dream picks on it is most unlikely to be a symbol for itself.
Quitters have more vivid dreams
People who have smoked cigarettes for a long time who stop, have reported much more vivid dreams than they would normally experience. Additionally, according to the Journal of Abnormal Psychology: Among 293 smokers abstinent for between 1 and 4 weeks, 33% reported having at least 1 dream about smoking. In most dreams, subjects caught themselves smoking and felt strong negative emotions, such as panic and guilt. Dreams about smoking were the result of tobacco withdrawal, as 97% of subjects did not have them while smoking, and their occurrence was significantly related to the duration of abstinence. They were rated as more vivid than the usual dreams and were as common as most major tobacco withdrawal symptoms.
External Stimuli Invade our Dreams
This is called Dream Incorporation and it is the experience that most of us have had where a sound from reality is heard in our dream and incorporated in some way. A similar (though less external) example would be when you are physically thirsty and your mind incorporates that feeling in to your dream. My own experience of this includes repeatedly drinking a large glass of water in the dream which satisfies me, only to find the thirst returning shortly after - this thirst drink thirst loop often recurs until I wake up and have a real drink. The famous painting above (Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening) by Salvador Dali, depicts this concept.
You are paralyzed while you sleep
Believe it or not, your body is virtually paralyzed during your sleep - most likely to prevent your body from acting out aspects of your dreams. According to the Wikipedia article on dreaming, Glands begin to secrete a hormone that helps induce sleep and neurons send signals to the spinal cord which cause the body to relax and later become essentially paralyzed.
Who become blind after birth can see images in their dreams. People who are born blind do not see any images, but have dreams equally vivid involving their other senses of sound, smell, touch and emotion. It is hard for a seeing person to imagine, but the body need for sleep is so strong that it is able to handle virtually all physical situations to make it happen.
You Forget 90% of your Dreams
Within 5 minutes of waking, half of your dream if forgotten. Within 10, 90% is gone.
Curiously, Robert Louis Stevenson came up with the story of Doctor Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde whilst he was dreaming.
Everybody Dreams
Every human being dreams (except in cases of extreme psychological disorder) but men and women have different dreams and different physical reactions. Men tend to dream more about other men, while women tend to dream equally about men and women. In addition, both men and women experience sexually related physical reactions to their dreams regardless of whether the dream is sexual in nature; males experience *****ions and females experience increased vaginal blood flow.
Dreams Prevent Psychosis
In a recent sleep study, students who were awakened at the beginning of each dream, but still allowed their 8 hours of sleep, all experienced difficulty in concentration, irritability, hallucinations, and signs of psychosis after only 3 days. When finally allowed their REM sleep the student brains made up for lost time by greatly increasing the percentage of sleep spent in the REM stage
We Only Dream of What We Know
Our dreams are frequently full of strangers who play out certain parts - did you know that your mind is not inventing those faces - they are real faces of real people that you have seen during your life but may not know or remember? The evil killer in your latest dream may be the guy who pumped petrol in to your Dad car when you were just a little kid. We have all seen hundreds of thousands of faces through our lives, so we have an endless supply of characters for our brain to utilize during our dreams.
Not Everyone Dreams in Color
A full 12% of sighted people dream exclusively in black and white. The remaining number dream in full color. People also tend to have common themes in dreams, which are situations relating to school, being chased, running slowly/in place, sexual experiences, falling, arriving too late, a person now alive being dead, teeth falling out, flying, failing an examination, or a car accident. It is unknown whether the impact of a dream relating to violence or death is more emotionally charged for a person who dreams in color than one who dreams in black and white
Dreams are not about what they are about
If you dream about some particular subject it is not often that the dream is about that. Dreams speak in a deeply symbolic language. The unconscious mind tries to compare your dream to something else, which is similar. Its like writing a poem and saying that a group of ants were like machines that never stop. But you would never compare something to itself, for example: That beautiful sunset was like a beautiful sunset. So whatever symbol your dream picks on it is most unlikely to be a symbol for itself.
Quitters have more vivid dreams
People who have smoked cigarettes for a long time who stop, have reported much more vivid dreams than they would normally experience. Additionally, according to the Journal of Abnormal Psychology: Among 293 smokers abstinent for between 1 and 4 weeks, 33% reported having at least 1 dream about smoking. In most dreams, subjects caught themselves smoking and felt strong negative emotions, such as panic and guilt. Dreams about smoking were the result of tobacco withdrawal, as 97% of subjects did not have them while smoking, and their occurrence was significantly related to the duration of abstinence. They were rated as more vivid than the usual dreams and were as common as most major tobacco withdrawal symptoms.
External Stimuli Invade our Dreams
This is called Dream Incorporation and it is the experience that most of us have had where a sound from reality is heard in our dream and incorporated in some way. A similar (though less external) example would be when you are physically thirsty and your mind incorporates that feeling in to your dream. My own experience of this includes repeatedly drinking a large glass of water in the dream which satisfies me, only to find the thirst returning shortly after - this thirst drink thirst loop often recurs until I wake up and have a real drink. The famous painting above (Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening) by Salvador Dali, depicts this concept.
You are paralyzed while you sleep
Believe it or not, your body is virtually paralyzed during your sleep - most likely to prevent your body from acting out aspects of your dreams. According to the Wikipedia article on dreaming, Glands begin to secrete a hormone that helps induce sleep and neurons send signals to the spinal cord which cause the body to relax and later become essentially paralyzed.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Little Health Mistakes....
Regular Health Mistakes
All of us make little health mistakes that cause damage to our bodies in the long run - simply because we are unaware we are doing something wrong. Here are some of the most common mistakes made by many of us.
Crossing our Legs
Do you cross your legs at your knees when sitting? Although we may believe that this is the lady-like elegant way to sit, sitting this way cuts down circulation to your legs. If you don't want varicose veins to mar the beauty of your legs and compromise your health, uncross your legs every time you realize you have one knee on top of the other. The best way to sit is to simply place both legs together on the floor, balancing your weight equally. If you feel like changing position, instead of crossing your legs, simply move both legs together to one side. As an alternative, you could also consider crossing your legs loosely at the ankles. This is a classically elegant way to sit, and is far better for your legs and your health than sitting with your legs crossed at your knees.
Not changing our Toothbrush
How often do you change your toothbrush? Most of us wait until most of the bristles have either fallen off, or are in such bad shape that we'd be embarrassed to pull out our brush in public. However, since not many of us need to pull out our brush in public, we carry on with our frayed one until we lose it. Replace your toothbrush often. Damaged bristles can harm the enamel, and don't massage your gums well. If you find brushing your teeth a pain like I do, but know you must do it, you might as well be doing it right. Imagine going through the annoyance of brushing your teeth twice a day only to find out that you're damaging your enamel every time you clean your teeth. Also, use a brush with soft bristles unless your dentist has advised otherwise.
Eating out often
There are oils that are high in cholesterol, and oils that cause little harm and are better for your heart. However, no matter how light the oil is, it is never a good idea to eat too much of it. Avoid fried foods. Remember that in all probability your favorite Indian food restaurant throws a huge, HUGE chunk of butter in a tiny bowl of dal. Rita, who worked in the kitchen of a 5 star hotel, was shocked when she saw the cook chop a 500gm butter slab in half, and throw half into a Paneer Makhani dish. No wonder the customers left licking their fingers. And no wonder they felt so stuffed and heavy afterwards. Limit outdoor eating unless you know that you"re getting served light and healthy food.
Skipping Breakfast
Never, ever skip breakfast. Remember, when you wake up in the morning it's been around 10-12 hours since your last meal. Your body needs food now, more than at any other time. Eat a heavy breakfast. You will then be busy through the day, and the calories will get expended quickly. If you are trying to diet, eat a light dinner. Here are some more common health mistakes we make. Being informed and making a few changes can help make us feel a whole lot better.
High Heels
High heels sure look great, but they're murder for your back. This however doesn't mean you should steer clear of stilettos. Wear them, but not when you know you will be walking around a lot. Wear them when going out for lunch or dinner - when the only walking you will be doing is to your car, to the table, and back. Avoid high heels when you are going somewhere on foot. If you are constantly tempted to wear your heels, take a good look at your flats. Is there something about them you dislike? Invest in a new pair of beautiful flats or shoes with a low heel. Buy something you love, that you will enjoy wearing. If possible, get a matching bag. You will then enjoy your flats as much as you do your heels.
Sleeping on a Soft Bed
You don't have to sleep on the floor be kind to your back, but do make sure you have a firm mattress. Although a mattress on springs is soft and lovely to sink into, it's bad for your back. If you already have an old bed with springs, you don't need to invest in a new one - simply get a thick wooden plank put over the springs, and place the mattress on the plank. Similarly, if your mattress is old and lumpy, throw it out and get a new one. Your neck and your back will thank you. The same rule applies to sofas. If you will be spending hours on a sofa, get a firm yet comfortable one. Sofas you completely sink into are not the best idea.
Pillows
No matter how comfortable sleeping with ten cushions is, have pity on your neck and resist. Sleep with one pillow, and make sure it is not too thick. If your pillow gets lumpy, discard it and go for a new one. Get a thin pillow if you sleep on your stomach, and something a little thicker if you sleep on your back, to give your neck adequate support.
Not Exercising
So all of us know we should exercise more, but many of us don't. This is a health mistake we consciously make! And why is that? Simply because we refuse to admit the damage we are causing to our bodies by not working out.. A number of people only start working out once they've experienced a warning signal. Don't wait for a heart attack to strike before you decide to opt for a lifestyle change. Make the change now. You don't need to train for the marathon to be in top shape. Half an hour of brisk walking three to four times a week will make a world of difference to your health. You could then increase this to forty minutes, four times a week - and you're all set. If you haven't exercised for a week, you're making a mistake.
How a cricket bat is made?
How a cricket bat is made?
How a Gray-Nicholls cricket bat is made. Presented by Stuart Kransbueler, Head bat maker of Gray - Nicholls Australia.
How a Gray-Nicholls cricket bat is made. Presented by Stuart Kransbueler, Head bat maker of Gray - Nicholls Australia.
Ice Hotel in Canada
After melting each spring, the ice hotel is rebuilt every winter in Duchesnais, near Québec. Its 8th season has started on 4 January 2008 ! People can visit it, spend a night, or have an original wedding in it. In the hotel, you can find 36 suites, a chapel, a club and a bar...made out of ice. In the rooms, the temperature doesn’t go above -3°C but a duvet blanket as well as a fireplace will keep you warm.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
President Obama's Diwali Message
President Obama's Diwali Message
Pls dont miss his speach.
All over world can understand abt india & indian
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Lovely Walk From La Sosta di Ottone III
We stayed in a lovely little inn at Chiesanuova, Italy, near the Cinque Terre. It was in a good location for exploring the coast, near the town of Levanto on one side and Monterosso on the other. However, there is no road directly to the inn; you have to walk along a gravel path from the road to reach it. This video shows Eric and I starting from our room making our way to where the car is parked.
Aircraft carrier mishap
Aircraft carrier mishap
Braking cable broke while airplane landing on aircraft carrier.
Braking cable broke while airplane landing on aircraft carrier.
Friday, October 16, 2009
POWER OF EXPRESSION
A blind man begging with a board written
" I'M Blind plzz help me"
1 Guy took the board and wrote something
and from that the blind man got heavy charity
HE wrote
"Today is a beautiful day
but
I can't see it"...
that's the power of expression ....!!!!
Expressed in ryt way
can change many things
" I'M Blind plzz help me"
1 Guy took the board and wrote something
and from that the blind man got heavy charity
HE wrote
"Today is a beautiful day
but
I can't see it"...
that's the power of expression ....!!!!
Expressed in ryt way
can change many things
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Italian scientist reproduces Shroud of Turin
By Philip Pullella Philip Pullella – Mon Oct 5, 11:30 am ET
The shroud, measuring 14 feet, 4 inches by 3 feet, 7 inches bears the image, eerily reversed like a photographic negative, of a crucified man some believers say is Christ.
"We have shown that is possible to reproduce something which has the same characteristics as the Shroud," Luigi Garlaschelli, who is due to illustrate the results at a conference on the para-normal this weekend in northern
A professor of organic chemistry at the
The Shroud of Turin shows the back and front of a bearded man with long hair, his arms crossed on his chest, while the entire cloth is marked by what appears to be rivulets of blood from wounds in the wrists, feet and side.
Carbon dating tests by laboratories in
But scientists have thus far been at a loss to explain how the image was left on the cloth.
Garlaschelli reproduced the full-sized shroud using materials and techniques that were available in the middle ages.
They placed a linen sheet flat over a volunteer and then rubbed it with a pigment containing traces of acid. A mask was used for the face.
PIGMENT, BLOODSTAINS AND SCORCHES
The pigment was then artificially aged by heating the cloth in an oven and washing it, a process which removed it from the surface but left a fuzzy, half-tone image similar to that on the Shroud. He believes the pigment on the original Shroud faded naturally over the centuries.
They then added blood stains, burn holes, scorches and water stains to achieve the final effect.
The Catholic Church does not claim the Shroud is authentic nor that it is a matter of faith, but says it should be a powerful reminder of Christ's passion.
One of Christianity's most disputed relics, it is locked away at Turin Cathedral in
Garlaschelli expects people to contest his findings.
"If they don't want to believe carbon dating done by some of the world's best laboratories they certainly won't believe me," he said.
The accuracy of the 1988 tests was challenged by some hard-core believers who said restorations of the Shroud in past centuries had contaminated the results.
The history of the Shroud is long and controversial.
After surfacing in the Middle East and
The Shroud narrowly escaped destruction in 1997 when a fire ravaged the Guarini Chapel of the
Garlaschelli received funding for his work by an Italian association of atheists and agnostics but said it had no effect on his results.
"Money has no odor," he said. "This was done scientifically. If the Church wants to fund me in the future, here I am."
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Surprise Nobel for Obama Stirs Praise and Doubts
By STEVEN ERLANGER and SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: October 9, 2009
Normally the prize has been presented, even controversially, for accomplishment. This prize, to a 48-year-old freshman president, for “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” seemed a kind of prayer and encouragement by the Nobel committee for future endeavor and more consensual American leadership.
But the prize quickly loomed as a potential political liability — perhaps more burden than glory — for Mr. Obama. Republicans contended that he had won more for his star power and oratorical skills than for his actual achievements, and even some Democrats privately questioned whether he deserved it.
The Nobel committee’s embrace of Mr. Obama was viewed as a rejection of the unpopular tenure, in Europe especially, of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
But the committee, based in Norway, stressed that it made its decision based on Mr. Obama’s actual efforts toward nuclear disarmament as well as American engagement with the world relying more on diplomacy and dialogue.
“The question we have to ask is who has done the most in the previous year to enhance peace in the world,” the Nobel committee chairman, Thorbjorn Jagland, said in Oslo after the announcement. “And who has done more than Barack Obama?”
Still, Mr. Obama, who was described as “very surprised” when he received the news, said he himself was not quite convinced, adding that the award “deeply humbled” him.
“To be honest,” the president said in the Rose Garden, “I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who have been honored by this prize, men and women who’ve inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.”
He said, though, that he would “accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century.” Mr. Obama plans to travel to Oslo to accept the award on Dec. 10. He will donate the prize money of $1.4 million to charity, the White House said.
Mr. Obama, only the third sitting American president to win the award, is suddenly put in the company of world leaders like Mikhail S. Gorbachev, who won for helping end the cold war, and Nelson Mandela, who sought an end to apartheid.
But less prominent figures have also won the award.
The reaction inside the administration was one of restraint, perhaps reflecting the awkwardness of winning a major prize amid a worldwide debate about whether it was deserved.
Republicans in Washington, reacting in disbelief, sought to portray Mr. Obama as unworthy. In an official statement, Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said, “The real question Americans are asking is, ‘What has President Obama actually accomplished?’ “
But there was much praise as well, even if Mr. Obama’s allies worried that the prize might be a liability and even if much of the praise came from Europe, giving ammunition to conservatives who say Mr. Obama cares too much about opinion there.
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said the award marked “America’s return to the hearts of the world’s peoples,” while Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany said it was an “incentive to the president and to us all” to do more for peace.
“In a short time he has been able to set a new tone throughout the world and to create a readiness for dialogue,” she said.
For a world that at times felt pushed around by a more unilateralist Bush administration, the prize for Mr. Obama seemed wrapped in gratitude for his willingness to listen and negotiate, as well as for his positions on climate change and nuclear disarmament.
Last year’s laureate, former President Martti Ahtisaari of Finland, saw the award as an endorsement of Mr. Obama’s goal of achieving Middle East peace.
“Of course, this puts pressure on Obama,” he said. “The world expects that he will also achieve something.”
The prize, announced as official Washington — including the president — was asleep, caught the White House off guard.
The first word of it came in the form of an e-mail message to the White House staff from the White House Situation Room, which monitors events worldwide around the clock, at 5:09 a.m. It carried the subject line “item of interest.”
Shortly before 6 a.m., the White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, telephoned Mr. Obama, awakening him to share the news.
“There has been no discussion, nothing at all,” said the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.
The award comes at a time of considerable challenges for the president, with few sweeping achievements so far.
On the domestic front, he is pressing Congress to overhaul the nation’s health care system. In foreign affairs, he is wrestling with his advisers over how to chart a new course in Afghanistan and has been working, with little movement, to restart peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Rose Garden appearance was an example of Mr. Obama’s heavy workload; it was squeezed into a day that already included his regular intelligence and economic briefings, a private meeting with a senator, lunch with the vice president, a major speech outlining plans for a new consumer protection agency and a strategy session on Afghanistan with his national security team.
Announcing the award, the Nobel committee cited Mr. Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples” and said that he had “created a new climate in international politics.”
In a four-paragraph statement, it praised Mr. Obama for his tone, his preference for negotiation and multilateral diplomacy and his vision of a cooperative world of shared values, shorn of nuclear weapons.
“Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the committee said. “His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population.”
The other sitting American presidents to be given the award were Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, for negotiating an end to a war between Russia and Japan, and Woodrow Wilson in 1919, for the Treaty of Versailles.
Former President Jimmy Carter won in 2002 for his efforts over decades to spread peace and development. Mr. Carter called the award to Mr. Obama “a bold statement of international support for his vision and commitment.”
Former Vice President Al Gore won in 2007, sharing the prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for his work on climate change. Mr. Gore called Mr. Obama’s award “well deserved” on Friday.
Mr. Obama has generated considerable goodwill overseas, with polls showing him hugely popular, and he has made a series of speeches with arching ambition. He has vowed to pursue a world without nuclear weapons; reached out to the Muslim world, delivering a major speech in Cairo in June; and sought to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, at the expense of offending some of his Jewish supporters.
But he has had to devote a great deal of his time to the economic crisis and other domestic issues, and many of his policy efforts are only beginning.
In addition to the challenges in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the situation in Iraq is extremely fragile; North Korea has staged missile tests; Iran continues to enrich uranium in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions, though it recently agreed to restart nuclear talks; Israel has resisted a settlement freeze; and Saudi Arabia has refused to make new gestures toward the Israelis.
Ahmed Youssef, a Hamas spokesman, congratulated Mr. Obama but said the prize was based only on good intentions. Muhammad al-Sharif, a politically independent Gazan, was incredulous. “Has Israel stopped building the settlements?” he asked. “Has Obama achieved a Palestinian state yet?”
The Nobel committee did not tell Mr. Obama in advance of the announcement, said its chairman, Mr. Jagland. “Waking up a president in the middle of the night,” he said, “this isn’t really something you do.”
8 Foods That Fight Fat
By Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief - Posted on Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 3:32 pm PDT
Want to lose weight as you chow down? Your wish is granted! (I promise, this is no fairy tale.) Your supermarket is filled with foods that studies show have lipid-melting powers to help melt fat and keep you slim. Stock up on these fat-fighting super bites, and you'll be trimmer even as you indulge. Read on to discover the eight foods that deserve a permanent spot in your fridge—and in your diet!
Almonds These yummy nuts are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can accelerate your metabolism of fats. In fact, dieters who ate 3 ounces of almonds daily slashed their weight and body-mass index by 18 percent, while those who skipped the nuts reduced both numbers less— just 11 percent—a study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed. Chomp almonds à la carte (limit yourself to 12 per serving to keep calories in check). I get a pack at Starbucks and nibble throughout my day. Or sprinkle them into a recipe such as Black Bean–Almond Pesto Chicken. Go nuts!
Berries I tell my daughter, "These are nature's candy!" Turns out they're also your body's best friends. Strawberries, raspberries and other vitamin C–spiked fruit can supercharge your workout, helping you burn up to 30 percent more fat, research from Arizona State University at Mesa has found. If they're not in season, buy the little gems frozen in a bulk-sized bag so you'll always have them on hand to whip up a Berry Bliss Smoothie or Strawberry-Sunflower Pops, regardless of whether berries are in season.
Cinnamon Adding 1/4 teaspoon to your plate may prevent an insulin spike—an uptick that tells your body to store fat. Sprinkle it on your morning cereal or coffee or on your yogurt in the A.M., or savor it in Apple-Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal.
Mustard It's heaven on a soft pretzel, but mustard may also be a weight loss wonder. Turmeric, the spice that gives mustard its color, may slow the growth of fat tissues, a study in the journal Endocrinology finds. Use it on sandwiches instead of mayo, or sprinkle turmeric on cauliflower pre-roasting to give it a kick. Try it on tuna salad—I promise it adds zest.
Oranges This citrus fruit, which contains fat-blasting compounds known as flavones, deserves to be your main squeeze. Women who ate the most flavones had a much lower increase in body fat over a 14-year period, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes. Eat oranges sliced or swig fresh OJ (including pulp!) to get the best benefit from the fruit.
Soybeans Reason to toss a half cup on your salad? Soybeans are rich in choline, a compound that blocks the absorption of fat and breaks down fatty deposits. Oh, and they're addictively delish! But if breast cancer runs in your family, experts suggest you should talk to your doc before adding soy to your diet.
Sweet potatoes The colorful spuds' high-fiber content means they keep your insulin steadier than their white sisters, which means less fat packed on your hips, research finds. Top a small baked tater with lowfat cottage cheese for a tempting side dish, or whip up Miso Soup With Sweet Potato Dumplings.
Swiss cheese Calcium-rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown, and Swiss has more calcium than many of its cheesy peers. Choose the reduced-fat variety, such as Sargento. Slip it into your sandwich, put it on top of high-fiber crackers or use it for a healthier grilled cheese. Yum!
Job competition toughest since recession began
By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER, AP Economics Writer Christopher S. Rugaber, Ap Economics Writer – Fri Oct 9, 8:03 pm ET
WASHINGTON – The number of job seekers competing for each opening has reached the highest point since the recession began, according to government data released Friday.
The employment crisis is expected to worsen as companies stay reluctant to hire. Many economists expect a jobless recovery, putting pressure on President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats to stimulate job creation.
There are about 6.3 unemployed workers competing, on average, for each job opening, a Labor Department report shows. That's the most since the department began tracking job openings nine years ago, and up from only 1.7 workers when the recession began in December 2007.
The highest point after the 2001 recession was 2.8 workers per opening in July 2003, as the economy suffered through a jobless recovery.
Employers have cut a net total of 7.2 million jobs during the downturn. While layoffs are slowing, Friday's report shows the other critical piece of a labor market recovery — hiring — has yet to begin.
"Fewer people are facing job loss," said Heidi Shierholz, an economist at Economic Policy Institute in Washington, "but once you have lost your job, you are in serious trouble."
The department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey found less than 2.4 million openings in August, the latest data available. That may seem like a lot of jobs, but it's down from 3.7 million a year ago and half its peak in June 2007. It's also the lowest tally on nine years of government records.
At the same time, the number of unemployed Americans doubled from the beginning of the recession to 14.9 million in August.
Economists fear the job market will take years to recover.
Shierholz said the economy faces a "jobs gap" of almost 10 million — the 7.2 million jobs lost plus the roughly 125,000 per month that would have been needed since the recession began just to keep up with population growth.
To close that gap and get back to pre-recession levels in two years would require more than 500,000 new jobs per month, a pace of job creation that hasn't been seen since 1950-51, Shierholz said.
Most analysts expect the nation to keep losing jobs through this year and the unemployment rate to peak above 10 percent by the middle of next year, even as the economy starts to recover.
"The recovery in output continues to be unaccompanied by a recovery in jobs," said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist for IHS Global Insight. He expects the unemployment rate, currently at 9.8 percent, will be at 8.6 percent in 2012.
Cynthia Rosso, a Potomac Falls, Va.-based marketing and communications professional laid off in March, is painfully aware of the competition she faces.
A networking group where she once announced jobs she was trying to fill as a manager is now dominated by people looking for work.
"Very few people get up and say, 'I have a job to offer,'" she said.
Rosso went to a job fair over the summer but turned back after seeing a line snaking around the building. She later heard that 3,000 job seekers showed up to vie for the attention of a handful of employers.
The jobs crisis is likely to have political repercussions. The last time the unemployment rate topped 10 percent, in 1982, President Ronald Reagan's Republican party lost 26 seats in midterm elections.
Congressional Democrats are working on various proposals to both provide relief to the unemployed and create jobs. The House and Senate have both agreed to extend jobless benefits, though the two bills have to be reconciled.
House and Senate leaders also are considering extending an $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, and creating a new credit for companies that add jobs.
Still, Republicans in Congress say rising joblessness and the talk of additional policy moves demonstrates that the administration's $787 billion stimulus package hasn't worked. Administration officials contend that job losses would have been worse without it.
The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, is expected to keep the short-term interest rate it controls at a record low near zero until sometime next year, in an effort to bolster the economy. High unemployment makes price hikes less likely, but some analysts fear inflation could result if the Fed waits too long to raise rates.
Economists offer several reasons why companies aren't hiring. Many employers laid off huge numbers of workers earlier this year but have since found that productivity jumped, enabling them to maintain output.
"For now, many of them are trying to find out how far they can push that," Gault said.
Many employers also are unsure about whether the economy can continue to grow once the impact of government stimulus fades and aren't likely to hire until that uncertainty eases, Gault said.
Efforts by the administration to reform health care and address climate change also create uncertainty among businesses about whether they'll soon be facing higher costs, according to Steven Davis, an economics professor at the University of Chicago.
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